2:8  A Boat

You, enlightened, heedful,

befriending a teacher like that,

practicing the Dhamma

in line with the Dhamma,

pondering,

giving it priority,

become

knowledgeable,

clear-minded,

subtle.

But if you consort with a piddling fool

who’s     envious,

hasn’t come to the goal,

you’ll go to death

without

having cleared up

the Dhamma right here,

with

your doubts unresolved.

Like a man gone down to a river—

turbulent, flooding, swift-flowing—

and swept away in the current:

How can he help others across?

Even so:

He who hasn’t

cleared up the Dhamma,

attended to the meaning

of what the learned say,

crossed over his own doubts:

How can he get others

to comprehend?

But as one who’s embarked

on a sturdy boat,

with rudder & oars,

would—thoughtful, skillful,

knowing the needed techniques—

carry many others across,

even so

an attainer-of-knowledge, learned,

developed in mind,1 unwavering

can get other people to comprehend—

when the conditions have arisen

for them to lend ear.

So:

You should befriend

a person of integrity—

learned, intelligent.

Practicing so

as to know the goal,

when you’ve experienced the Dhamma,

you get bliss.